Joel, left, a recovering Heroin addict walks and talks to Eric Light, director of Reach Ministries, after dinner at a recent Thursday night gathering at Ooltewah United Methodist Church.An addict who broke free of his own addiction is now helping lead a faith-based program to free others.
“Nobody wants to talk about it,” said Matt Peterson, director of Recovery at Ooltewah, who has been free of his addiction for 16 years. “It’s the elephant in the room. There are people in the church (with addictions) whether it’s a chemical addiction, alcohol or drugs.”
Ooltewah United Methodist Church aims to help.
The congregation celebrates its one-year anniversary of Recovery @ Ooltewah, a faith-based program created to support people as they detach from destructive dependencies. Unlike many faith-based recovery programs, Recovery @ Ooltewah welcomes people even if they’re in the midst of addiction. Participants do not have to be a member of the church to attend recovery services.
The program celebrates its first anniversary Thursday with a program at 6:15 p.m. The church will serve a light dinner at 5:30 p.m.